HRH Crown Princess and Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach leaving today to Jordan to focus on the war in Syria and the millions of refugees pouring across the border into neighboring countries.

The visit to Jordan consists of a field visit to a refugee camp where the Crown Princess and the minister will have the opportunity to talk with Syrian refugees and get a first-hand impression of the situation, relief efforts and new humanitarian needs.

The Crown Princess is patron of the Danish Refugee Council, which is responsible for the distribution of basic relief items in refugee camps for victims of the war, both in neighboring countries, but also inside Syria. Danish Refugee Council and the Danish Red Cross are some of the few humanitarian organizations that the Syrian regime allowed to operate in the country and therefore plays a central role in the international community's humanitarian efforts.

More than six million people have fled because of the Syrian civil war, two million to neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon and Northern Africa. Four million refugees inside Syria. The situation is particularly chaotic in the western part of the country and around the cities of Aleppo and Homs. Here's population trapped between the fighting forces, and it is very difficult for international aid agencies to get help.

As part of the Crown's and development minister's program in Jordan are also included visits to projects not directly related to the war. Here is Danish-supported initiatives in the Arab Initiative, which focuses on women's rights - including violence prevention.

Gender equality and women's rights is also a priority area for Danish development assistance. The Crown Princess and the minister has previously visited Mozambique to focus on the area.

good work. do you think her trip in jordan is private since it just has been annonced today or will get photos? i hope so.

Muhler

08-20-2013 08:10 AM

I'll presume she'll pay a curtesy visit to the JRF while down there or at least meet with a representative of the royal family.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieDenmark
(Post 1590546)

good work. do you think her trip in jordan is private since it just has been annonced today or will get photos? i hope so.

I think it's safe to expect pictures from this visit. The statement points out that the purpose is to put focus on the refugee situation - so that means press.
And BB writes that they are sending a journalist, so they must have been alerted some time ago and they are probably not the only representatives from the press.
It is in my opinion much more plausible that the visit has been kept secret for security reasons, there are plenty of desperate people, let alone nutcases in that area. - And as such my guess is that FET will be responsible for Mary's safety.

The visit will focus on the huge humanitarian catastrophe in Syria and the neighboring countries, where more than six million Syrians needing immediate lifesaving assistance.

Mary travels together with our Minister for Development Cooperation, Christian Friis Bach, and he greatly appreciate Mary's participation. You may remember that these two have traveled together many times before.

"Crown Princess Mary commitment is unique. She does an incredible amount of work internationally to focus on women's and girls' rights and they are particularly vulnerable in a catastrophe situation such as we see in Syria right now."

good work. do you think her trip in jordan is private since it just has been annonced today or will get photos? i hope so.

Billedbladet informs us that their journalist, Ulrik Ulriken and their photographers are traveled with Mary to Jordan and will cover the visit on both their website and in their magazine. I don't know about other media since the visit have been published so late? But it's certainly something with the safety.

Mary had completed the schedule in Za'atari camp, when security was alerted because a demonstration in the camp by refugees was getting very close and the demonstraters were apparantly deemed aggressive or threathning enough for security to decide that Mary should be removed to safety.
It was a UN soldier who alerted the Jordanian security around Mary.
Mary was actually giving an interview when it happened.
This is the second largest camp in Jordan, with more than 120.000 refugees.

The rest of Mary's schedule will continue as planned for the rest of today and tomorrow Thursday.

- Whether the demonstration had anything to do with Mary or whether they even knew about Mary is not mentioned.

Mary was not in danger. The demonstration was not directed at her, or because of her presence. The demonstration was a reaction to the (alledged *) nervegas attack that should have taken place near Damascus in Syria.

It was only because the demonstrators got too close for comfort that the Danish delegation was evacuated.

(*) Alledged gas attack. Because it's a bit odd that the gas attack should take place right after UN inspectors entered Syria and even more odd that the attack took place not far from the hotel where the inspectors are housed. On top of that military experts say that it doesn't look like a gas attack.
But as we also saw in former Jugoslavia, shooting at your own side and blaming it on the other side was far from uncommon. Which is one of the reasons why it was prudent to keep Mary's visit and her whereabout as confidential as possible.

Mary was not in danger. The demonstration was not directed at her, or because of her presence. The demonstration was a reaction to the (alleged *) nervegas attack that should have taken place near Damascus in Syria.

Still, I would feel antsy knowing that Frederick is abroad. I know some things are difficult to schedule, of course, but I feel for them as parents both being away from the children.

Roskilde

08-21-2013 09:42 AM

I'm glad to hear that everything was under control and Mary and the other visitors also seems to be fine when they leaved the refugee camp. Such a visit is no walk in the park. It's so terrible that so many people and children must live like this - and often for a very long time.

I like how simple Mary always is dressed on these trips. No jewelry at all (beyond her wedding ring.) I like to see her on such visits and I am sure that there will be taken good care of her.

Minister for Development Cooperation, Christian Friis Bach, on his Facebook page:

"Tough refugees stories, but also provides space for a smile. HRH Crown Princess Mary praised the painting I had painted in company with three Syrian boys of 12 years in the children's center.
The favorable conditions in the camp was a small bright spot in the middle of a tragic humanitarian crisis."

Here visiting the refugee camp. So far there are eight million refugees in and outside Syria, it is feared the number will reach twelve million by then end of next year.
During the visit Mary sat down next to eleven year old Brahim, who was painting something abstract: "I don't paint anything in particular. I just like the colors. Especially blue, yellow and green".
Mary: "You are really good at painting. Do you know how you make the green color"? Brahim nodded and smiled.

Mary also talked to a highly pregnant woman at the medical centre. The woman, Sana'a, who is already mother to six children explained: "I have three boys and three girls and soon to have my seventh child. It's the first time I'm giving birth outside Syria - in the camp - and that makes me afrais. That's why I have gone to the centre".
Large pic: http://www.bt.dk/sites/default/files...ncess-mary.jpg

Mary aslo visited a crisis centre an the Jordanian capital, Amman. Some of them must also be refugees but most are very poor indeed.Mary trøstede voldsramte kvinder - Royale | www.bt.dk
Half of the women who seek refuge here are foreigners. Palestinians, Egyptians Iraqies and even some from Bangladesh. Stranded as single women, often with children, in a foreign land, their situation is pretty much hopeless.
Many have been in domestic service, where they have suffered various kind of abuse, sometimes sexual.

The Syrian situation is devastating. I feel for the Jordanians as well...their country has had to accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees of neighbouring wars over the years. It is an unbelievably difficult situation for both sides.

I won't write a translation of what Mary said, it's bedtime.
Towards the end Mary is informed by her LiW that they must leave now. While the FET agent handles her a bottle.

----------------------

- Let's have a closer look at what happened in this clip.

00:40: Mary talks about the plight of the refugees she has met: "The situation is tougher than (can't make it out).... They have lost everything. Some have lost members of the family, friends and of course children. So it's very moving to hear about the stories".

The refugees are of course pretty desperate. At 01.30 a woman plead the Danish delegation (and press) to end the war in Syria.
Then the Minister for Development explains the situation. This is the second largest refugee camp in the world and it is feared that by the end of this year up to ten million people may be refugees.

02.20. Mary is asked what she felt, what feelings were conveyed to her when she spoke to the refugees? Did they feel any hope?
M: "I think... There is always hope. That those who have come here with their families intact have the opportunity to again quiet and calmly to plan their future again and get (the) children back to school".

02:30. Mary is told by her LiW: "We have to go. A demonstration is heading this way". M: "Oh". (A somehwt bewildered oh, I'd say).

The demonstration was not directed at Mary but caused by the alledged chemical attack in Damaskus.

From TV2 yesterday I learned that the refugee camp is within reach of the mobile phone network inside Syria, so even though the camp is located 50 KM from the border, the refugees are well informed about what is going on in Syria.
She was also briefly interviewed for TV2 and this was an example of how good Mary is to get a message across to the Family Denmark, who have their evening coffee around that time. She said that these were people who just like at home until recently, had a house and children and a car, with dad going to work and mother looking after the house. I.e. painting a picture most Danes can instantly relate to even without thinking about it.

ADDED: BB has an article about Mary meeting the Jordanian Minister for Development (*), Ibrahim Saif, who thanked Mary and Denmark for the support and emphasized the moral support Mary gave by visiting the refugee camp.http://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige...dansk-minister

(*) He is actually the counterpart for the Danish Minister for Development who is accompanying Mary and it is really a meeting between the two politicians, but as Mary is formally heading the delegation and far outranks the Danish minister, it is of course her the Jordanian minister addresses.

Amman, August 21 (Petra) -- Princess Marie of Denmark, wife of the Danish Crown Prince, on Wednesday visited the headquarters of the Jordanian Women's Union and was briefed on the activities and programs offered by the union and models for volunteer work.Petra pictures

I won't write a translation of what Mary said, it's bedtime.
Towards the end Mary is informed by her LiW that they must leave now. While the FET agent handles her a bottle.

----------------------

- Let's have a closer look at what happened in this clip.

00:40: Mary talks about the plight of the refugees she has met: "The situation is tougher than (can't make it out).... They have lost everything. Some have lost members of the family, friends and of course children. So it's very moving to hear about the stories".

The refugees are of course pretty desperate. At 01.30 a woman plead the Danish delegation (and press) to end the war in Syria.
Then the Minister for Development explains the situation. This is the second largest refugee camp in the world and it is feared that by the end of this year up to ten million people may be refugees.

02.20. Mary is asked what she felt, what feelings were conveyed to her when she spoke to the refugees? Did they feel any hope?
M: "I think... There is always hope. That those who have come here with their families intact have the opportunity to again quiet and calmly to plan their future again and get (the) children back to school".

02:30. Mary is told by her LiW: "We have to go. A demonstration is heading this way". M: "Oh". (A somehwt bewildered oh, I'd say).

The demonstration was not directed at Mary but caused by the alledged chemical attack in Damaskus.

From TV2 yesterday I learned that the refugee camp is within reach of the mobile phone network inside Syria, so even though the camp is located 50 KM from the border, the refugees are well informed about what is going on in Syria.
She was also briefly interviewed for TV2 and this was an example of how good Mary is to get a message across to the Family Denmark, who have their evening coffee around that time. She said that these were people who just like at home until recently, had a house and children and a car, with dad going to work and mother looking after the house. I.e. painting a picture most Danes can instantly relate to even without thinking about it.

Thanks Muhler,

More pictures from today at the crisis centre for battered women.

It's some touching pictures. These women have some sad fates, I think you can see it in their eyes..